Amos 5

5:1Amos shocked his listeners by singing a funeral song for them as though they had already been destroyed. The Israelites believed that their wealth and religious ritual made them secure, but Amos lamented their sure destruction.

5:6There is one sure remedy for a world that is sick and dying in sin: “Come back to the LORD and live!” Sin seeks to destroy, but hope is found in seeking God. In times of difficulty, seek God. In personal discomfort and struggle, seek God. When others are struggling, encourage them to seek God, too.

5:7The courts should have been places of justice where the poor and oppressed could find relief. Instead, they had become places of greed and injustice.

5:8Pleiades and Orion are star constellations. For thousands of years, navigators have staked lives and fortunes on the reliability of the stars. The constancy and orderliness of the heavens challenge us to look beyond them to their Creator.

5:10-12A society is in trouble when those who try to do right are hated for their commitment to justice. Any society that exploits the poor and defenseless or hates the truth is bent on destroying itself.

5:12Why does God put so much emphasis on the way we treat the poor and needy? Because how we treat the poor reflects our true character. We know we can expect nothing in return. Do we, like Christ, give without thought of gain? We should treat the poor as we would like God to treat us.

5:12Here are eight common excuses for not helping the poor and needy: (1) They don’t deserve help. They got themselves into poverty; let them get themselves out. (2) God’s call to help the poor applies to another time. (3) We don’t know any people like this. (4) I have my own needs. (5) Any money t give will be wasted, stolen, or spent. The poor will never see it. (6) I may become a victim myself. (7) I don’t know where to start, and I don’t have time. (8) My little bit won’t make any difference. Instead of making tame excuses, ask what can be done to help. Does your church have programs to help the needy? Could you volunteer to work with a community group that fights poverty? As one individual, you may not be able to accomplish much, but join with similarly motivated people and watch mountains begin to move.

5:15If Israel were to sweep away the corrupt system of false accusations, bribery, and corruption, and were to insist that only just decisions be given, this would show their change of heart. We dare not read this passage lightly or write it off simply as encouragement to be good. It is a command to reform our own legal and social system.

5:16Failure to honor the dead was considered horrible in Israel. so joud weeping was common at funerals. Paid mourners, usually women, cried and mourned loudly with dirges and eulogies. Amos said there would be so many funerals that there would be a shortage of professional mourners, so farmers would be called from the fields to help (see also Jeremiah 9:17-20).

5:18Here “the day of the LORD” means the imminent destruction by the Assyrian army as well as the future day of God’s judgment. For the faithful, “the day of the LORD” will be glorious, but for the unfaithful it will be a day of darkness and doom. (See Joel 1:15 for more discussion of the day of the LORD.)

5:18-24These people were calling for the day of the LORD, thinking it would bring an end to their troubles. But God said, “You have no idea what you are wishing for.” This “day of the Lor” would bring justice, and justice would bring the punishment the people deserved for their sins. §:21-23 God hates worship by people who go through the motions only for show. If we are living sinful lives and using Teligious rituals and traditions to make ourselves look good, God will despise our worship and not accept what we offer. He wants sincere hearts, not praise from hypocrites. When you worship at church, are you more concerned about your image or your attitude toward God?

5:26In days past, Israel had turned to worshiping stars and planets, preferring nature over nature's God (2 Kings 23:4, 5). Pagan religion allowed them to indulge in sexual immorality and to become wealthy through any means possible. Because they refused to worship and obey the one true God, they would cause their own destruction.

5:27\srael’s captivity was indeed to a land east of Damascus— the people were taken to Assyria. God’s punishment was more than defeat; it was complete exile from their homeland.